Grain separator



July 3, 1923. 1,460,463

O. W. WILLIAMS GRAIN SEPARATOR Filed Oct. 51.1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l \4/ /4 v5 24 Y i 29 July 3, 1923.

' 1,460,463 0. W. WILLIAMS 1 GRAIN SEPARATOR Filed Oct. 51.1921

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 3, 1923.

"Um'rE stares one. woon WILLIAMS, or MINNEAPOLIS,]MINNESOTA.

GRAIN SEPARATOR.

Application filed October 31, 1921. Serial No. 511,727.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, ORA Noon VVILLJAMS,

a citizen of the United States, residing-at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Grain Separators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

separationo-f materials of various different sizes, but has for its particular object the provision of an improved grain separator especially adapted for separation of commingled grains, such as are generally known as succo-tash and which consists of wheat and oats with the customarily commingled small grains such as seeds, chaff, dirt and the like. I

The machine involves one or more rotary drums having internal pockets and associated with various diflerent devices, which co-operate to execute the desired separations. v

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views. 1

Referring tothe drawings: 1

Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of the machine with the enclosing casing in vertical section' Fi g. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken approximately on the line- 22 of Fig 1; ig. 3 is a large section'taken approximately on the line 83 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4; is a vertical-section taken approximately on the line l-A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fra mentary section taken on the same line as. ig. 4;, and being a section of the upper drum;

Fig.6 is a section corresponding to Fig. 5 but showing a section of the lower drum;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken approximately on the line 77 of Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view showlng a portion of the upper separating drum, look ing at the interior thereof or at a POItlOIl of the drum found in the vicinity of the line marked 8-8 on Fig. 5; and

Fig. 9 is a view correspondingto F 4:

a somewhat modified con but illustrating struction. a

The machine illustrated employs two sep arating cylinders or drums 10 and 11 1ocat'ed one over the other,open at both ends and rotatably mounted on a framework 12 by means of flanged annular rims 13fout' standing from the ends of said 'drumsand' running against flanged circumferentially spaced guide rollersl l journaled to hearing My invention relates to machines for the brackets 15 suitably secured'to the framework 12. I i

As preferably constructed, each drum 1011 comprises a thin perforated outer metallic shell and an interior shell lining 16, which latter is also preferably of met'al and is provided with pocket-forming perforations 1'7. The outer shells of said drum. have fine perforations, as best" shown in: Figs. 7 and 8, so that thebottoms offthe pockets 17 are closed against the passage of large materials that are formed .withperforations that will pass air, dust and small particles. 1 1 Vfhen the drums are to be of considerable.

up of-sections, the'sectio-ns at .theirabuttin'g ends being provided with outstanding. ri'gr" idly secured annular flanges '18 adapted to be rigidly but detachably connected b nut equipped bolts 19, as best shown in, fiig.',7 Also, in such arrangement, one of the flanges 18 willpreferab-ly bev constructed to i run against additional guide rollers -o'r wheels 20 suitably journaled to thegframe 12. Preferably, the drum-guiding rollers 20 and 14: are journaledon cross "shafts 20? that are directly secured to or journaled in the bearing brackets 15. 1

carried by a countershaft 2 1 journaled in' 7 hearings on the top of the casing 21 andprovided at its outer end. witha pulley,

over which latter runs a power driven belt 25. Atits opposite end, the shaftQ l-hasa sprocket 26 for a purpose WhlCh-Wlll'p1'6S ently appear.

Within each drum is an; axially disposed 80 length, they, are preferably divided or madeof .the two .drums are spiral conveyors 31 arranged'in groups and the shafts of which are journaled in suitable bearings on transverse bars 12 of the main frame, and, at one end, are'provided with sprockets 32. A

sprocket chain 33 runs over the sprockets 26,

30 and 32 :and transmits rotary motion to the spiral-conveyors 29 and 31. Obviously, any suitable driving connections may be emp loyed-for. rotating said spiral conveyors.

@The casing 21 is made substantially airtightexcept for air intake passages 34 and an air outtake pipe 35, which latter will be connected to the inlet of a fan or to other means for producing suction or partial vacuum within the casing.

HThe commingled grain will be delivered to the first or upper drum 10 through a sup'ply spout 36 and material will be delivered from the discharge end of said upper T drum into and through a discharge spout 37.

' lower drum 11.

An intermediate or transverse spout 38 receives from the delivery end of the upper collecting trough 27 and delivers to the lower portion of the receiving end of the I i The delivery end of the lower collecting trough 27 discharges into a discharge spout 39 and the delivery end of said lower-drum discharges into a discharge V spout 40-.

The upper drum 10 will be rotated in the dire'otion'of the arrows marked on Figs. 4 and 5,"while the lower drum 11 will be rotated in" the opposite direction. Located close to-the rising side of each drum, just below the overlying collecting plate 28, are

provided" with depenc i blower pipes 41 that are connected to a source of air pressure, such as a fan, compressed air tank or the like, not shown. Within the drums, these blower pipes 41 are blast nozzles 42 that direct a downward last over the interiorsurface of the upwardly moving surfaces ofthe sides of the drums.

Extended longitudinally of and through the drums 10 and 11 are suction troughs or tubes43with longitudinal openings located immediately adjacent to the inner perforated surfaces of the drums. These suction spouts 'have extended tubes 43 connected to any suitable source of suction or partial vacuum." The inner ends of the suction troughs 43 should be closed, so that all air drawninto the same must come through the perforations and pockets of the drums in a direction from the exteriors to the interiors of the drums.

Preferably, the drums are also provided below their collecting plates 28 and adjacent to their collecting troughs 27 with suction tubes 44 having intake nozzles 44*. These suction tubes 44 are also connected by tubes 45 to a common source of suction or partial vacuum. The pockets 16 of the upper or first drum are large enough to receive wheat kernels but not of sufficient diameter to receive and hold longer particles, such as oats. The pockets in the lower drum, however, are

much smaller than those in the upper drum. They are not large enough to receive wheat kernels, but large enough to receive small seeds, cockle, wild peas and the like. 1

0 peration.

The operation of the machine will be described in connection with its use for the separation of wheat and oats and commingled mixtures, generally known as succotash. This commingled stock or succotash will be delivered into the receiving end of the first or upper drum 10 through the supply spout 36 and, under rotation of said drum, the wheat kernels will get into the pockets 16 and will be carried upward thereby to points above the gathering plates 28 and will finally be dropped onto the gathering plate and directed into the gathering spout 27.

The oats, being long, will not get completely into the pockets of the upper drum and, hence, will fall by gravity and, moreover, will be blown backward by the air blast from the nozzles 42, so that they will be kept always below the gathering plates 28 and will finally be discharged by the spiral conveyors 31 of the upper drum into the discharge spout 37, by which it will be carried from the machine.

The partial vacuum maintained in the casing 21, around the drums, will'continuou'sly draw light dust and like fine particles from the casing and out through the suction pipe 35. Also, dust and light particles will loe drawn from the drums through the nozzles 44 and suction pipes 44.

As the pockets and perforated surfaces of the drums pass the open suction troughs or tubes 43, air will be drawn inward through said perforations, thereby cleaning the same, once for each rotation of the drum. It will, of course, be understood that the suction produced in the suction troughs 43 is much stronger than the suction exerted in the opposite or outward direction by the partial vacuum maintained in the casing.

The wheat commingled with small seeds, such as cockle and wild peas, will be delivered from the upper collecting trough 27 into the transfer spout 38, and by the latter will be delivered into' the receiving end of the lowerdrum 11." Under rotation of this.

- lower drum, the cockle wild peas and the like will get into the pocketsof said drum and will be carried upward and deposited onto the gathering plate 28 and from thence will be directed into the lower gathering trough 27; but as the wheat cannot get into. the pockets-of thelower drum, it will re' main in the lower portion of the drum and,

' by the conveyors 31 of the lower drum, will seeds are taken-from the oats and carried oil as tailings, while in the lower drum, the cockle, wild peas and the like are taken from the wheat and the clean wheat iscarried off as tailings. at the delivery end of said lower drum. I 1

The above described operations make it possible to very rapidly and effectually remove all foreign substances from wheat and to collect both wheat'and oats separately lIl clean condition. H p A Fig. 9 illustrates a modified form or the separator in which, to increase the capacity of the drum, there are located two collecting troughs withtheir co-operating gathering trough 2r, gathering plates 28 and conveyor 29 correspond in construction andarrangement to the, same elements. in the machine already described. However, the overlying or second gatheringctrough 2"? has gathering'p'lates QS that are perforated or inthe't'orm of a screen, preferably a mesh provided with what is known as a buckwheat screen. These perforated gathering plates will thereforepass small seeds, cockle, wild peas and the like, but will not permit the good wheat to pass therethrough;

With this arrangement, the oats will be carried off as tailings from the delivery end of the drum, clean wheat will be collected-in the upper collecting spout 27 and cookie,

wild peas and the like will be collectedsin the lower collecting spout 27. r

In some cases, the drum may be rotated at such high Velocity that the materials will tend to cling to the interior ofthe drunr and, in some instances, the partial vacuum maintained'in the casing may be-quite high,

I tending to produce such clinging. To insure release of the wheat, cockle, wild peas and the like, which may be carried above the perforated upper collecting plate 28, a blast tube 46, having an open side, may be arranged to blow directly against the perforated surface of the drum substantially, as

shown in Fig. 9. p

vacuum in the casing.

"1. A separator ofthe kind" described com prising La .rotarydrum' provided with in-" ternal pockets, said pockets having p'erfo rate bottoms, and an air tube arranged to blow "a downward blast against the interior of the drumon thef risingside-thereof ap-' proximately parallel tothe innersu-rtace of v rate bottoms, a collecting trough-within said-c v drum and having an oblique collecting plat onto which will fall the material carriedupward by said pockets, and an airj tube ar-- thereof approximately parallel to the inner surface of the -dru A I acanged tov blow a dov'vnward blast against 1' A the interior of the drum on the rising side i 3. A separator of thekind described comprising a rotary drum provided with internal pockets, said pockets having perforate bottoms, an air tube arranged to blow a downward blast against the interior of the drumion the rising side" thereof approxr,

mately parallel to the inner surface ofthe drum and an air suction tube leading from the interior ofsaid drum.- 7 4:. A separator of the kind described com-.-

prising a rotary drum provided with internal pockets, said pockets having perfo drum and having an oblique collecting plate onto which will fall the-material carried upward by said pockets, an air tube arranged v rate bottoms, a collecting trough within said plates and conveyors. The lower gathering' 1 to blow a downward blast'against the .in-

face of the 'drum,z and an air suction tube leading from the interior ofsaid drum.

5.The structure "defined in claim 1 in' fu'rther combination: with a casing for the terior of the drum on the rising sidetherey of approximatelyparallel' to the innersurdrum, and means for maintaining "a partial' 6. The structuredefined in claim 3 in fur: ther combination with means for blowing a -blast of air against. the exterior of the drum betweenthe air tube and the tion tube. l A

7 A separator of the kind described com prising a rotary drumprovided'with inair sucternal pockets, a collecting plate, means for' moving material deposited on the collecting plate from said pockets, and I a suction trough above the collecting plate-and .31-

ranged to remove material from said pockets at a predetermined point.

8. The structure defined in claim 7 in which the collecting plate is perforated.

' ,9. The structure defined in claim 7 in further combination with a suction below the collectingplate. p

10. The structure defined in claim 1 in" tube which the pockets are perforated and'in,

further combination with a suction trough above the collecting plate, and means for blowing a blast of air into the drum through said pockets on the rising side of the drum between the collecting plate and the suction trough.

11. A separator ofthe kind described comprising a rotary drum provided with internal pockets upper and lower collecting plates, means for removing material deposited on the collecting plates from said pockets, and a suction trough above the collecting plate and arranged to remove material from said pockets at a predetermined point.

12. The structure defined in claim 11 in which the collecting plates are perforated.

13. The structure defined in claim 11 in further combination with a suction tube be:

tween the collecting plates, and asuction 20 tube below the lower collecting plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ORA WOOD WILLIAMS. 

